Updated ,first published
West Australian Premier Roger Cook will take on tourism while his deputy Rita Saffioti’s transport portfolio has been expanded to cover major infrastructure under a cabinet shake-up revealed on Sunday.
The reshuffle, spurred by the resignation of former minister and Secret Harbour MP Paul Papalia at the start of the week, will also see first-term Landsdale MLA Daniel Pastorelli handed water, and the mines, petroleum and exploration portfolios.
Don Punch will take on Papalia’s old racing and gaming portfolio, while responsibility for corrective services will go to current Attorney-General Tony Buti.
Cook has also handed his state development portfolio to David Michael, adding to his existing oversight of finance, electoral affairs, and Goldfields-Esperance.
But the biggest shake-up revolves around the positioning of WA for a future in defence manufacturing, with Cook taking on the defence industries portfolio, and Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson to support the premier in an assistant minister for defence industries role.
The move anticipates the flurry of investment and development at Henderson, south of Perth, with the premier’s goal to develop WA as the biggest naval maintenance and shipbuilding hub in the Southern Hemisphere.
“This is a solid reshuffle, which is about making sure that we can redouble our efforts around diversifying the economy and making sure that we keep the Western Australian economy the strongest in the nation,” Cook said.
Saffioti’s expanded portfolio will incorporate “the development of new common user infrastructure to support the defence industry”.
Cook said the deputy premier was already taking on “significant work” with the looming Westport project in Perth’s south, “and I now want her to focus also on defence infrastructure or infrastructure that supports the defence industry effort”.
“So we have to understand that potentially, and by definition, goes beyond simply the responsibilities of a transport minister,” he said.
Meredith Hammat will add preventative health to her suite of portfolios, which dovetails with her existing health and mental health responsibilities.
Pastorelli’s background in Labor and as chief of staff in the offices of both former premier Mark McGowan and Cook himself, as well as his “significant profile” in the state’s business community, were cited by the premier as the reasoning behind the first-term MP’s portfolios.
“ There’s potentially no more important portfolio in the nation than being the mines minister in Western Australia, and from that perspective, [Pastorelli will] bring both experience, corporate knowledge, and strong industry relations to make sure we can continue to keep the resources industry one of our largest economic drivers,” he said.
Cook said diversifying WA’s economy underscored the government’s priorities in jobs, health and housing.
He described Perth MLA John Carey as a “deliverer” in detailing why he handed him the role of assisting the minister for transport and major infrastructure.
Turning to the looming byelection in Papalia’s old seat of Secret Harbour, Cook brushed away questions on whether he’d push for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to hit the campaign trail, noting it would be “unusual” for a prime minister to involve themselves in a state byelection.
“This is about the people of Secret Harbor. It’s not about political gamesmanship that takes place on the east coast,” he said.
“[Albanese is] running the country, and this is a by-election estate for a state seat. But Albo is always welcome to come to Western Australia.”
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